Italy Italian citizenship by descent

Italian citizenship passes by blood, but since 28 March 2025 a person born abroad who holds another citizenship is treated as never having been Italian unless a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, or the Italian parent lived in Italy for two continuous years before the birth. Recognition is requested at the consulate for your place of residence or at an Italian municipality. ^{1 2 3 4}

What you must show and pay

• A fee of EUR 600 (≈ $670) · Non-refundable consular fee for each application for recognition of citizenship by descent submitted from 1 January 2025. ^{3 4}

Requirements

• You were born abroad to a line of Italian citizens and at least one parent or grandparent held, or held at death, only Italian citizenship. ^{1 3}
• Alternatively, your Italian parent or adoptive parent lived in Italy for at least two continuous years after acquiring citizenship and before your birth or adoption. ^{1 3}
• People who hold only Italian citizenship and cannot hold another, and anyone born in Italy, keep citizenship by descent without these limits. ^{1 4}
• Applications filed with complete documents, or at an appointment confirmed, by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025 are decided under the previous rules. ^{1 4}
• Court cases filed by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025 are also decided under the previous rules. ¹
• A minor child of an Italian citizen by birth becomes Italian if the parents declare it within one year of birth. ¹
• Otherwise the minor becomes Italian after the declaration once they have lived legally in Italy for two continuous years. ¹
• For children who were minors on 24 May 2025 and whose parent was recognised under the old rules, the declaration may be filed until 23:59 Rome time on 31 May 2029. ¹
• The consular fee is EUR 600 (≈ $670) per application and is not refunded if the application is rejected. ^{3 4}
• Birth record of the Italian ancestor issued by the Italian municipality, and birth and marriage records of every descendant down to you, with Italian translations. ⁴
• A certificate from the country of emigration showing the ancestor did not naturalise there while the next descendant was a minor. ⁴
• Evidence that the parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship, such as negative citizenship certificates; self-declarations are not accepted. ^{3 4}
• Foreign documents must be originals legalised by apostille and translated into Italian; the consulate keeps them. ³
• Book an individual appointment through the Prenot@Mi system at the consulate for your country of permanent residence. ^{3 4}
• Attend the appointment with all original documents and pay the fee; the consulate may ask for more evidence. ³
• In court proceedings on citizenship, oaths and witness evidence are not admitted and the applicant must prove that no cause of non-acquisition or loss applies. ¹

Stay

• Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.

Nationality

Open to people of any nationality who descend from an Italian citizen and meet the 2025 generation and residence conditions.

Work

A citizen may live and work in the country without any permit.

Family

Each applicant files their own application; minor children follow the separate declaration rule in Article 4(1-bis) of Law 91/1992.

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

1. Decreto-legge 28 marzo 2025, n. 36, convertito dalla legge 23 maggio 2025, n. 74 (disposizioni urgenti in materia di cittadinanza) · Normattiva (Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-03-28
2. Legge 23 maggio 2025, n. 74 (conversione del decreto-legge 36/2025) · Normattiva (Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-05-23
3. Citizenship iure sanguinis – New Regulatory Framework · Consulate General of Italy in London (MAECI) · checked 2026-10-11
4. Italian Citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) – legislative update and application procedure · Consulate General of Italy in Miami (MAECI) · checked 2026-10-11